Employment Opportunity City Manager · A stable, active, and fiscally healthy community, East Grand Rapids is a full-service city chartered as a council-manager form of government

Employment Opportunity

City Manager

City of East Grand Rapids

MICHIGAN MUNICIPAL LEAGUE

Situated along the shores of Reeds Lake, East Grand Rapids, Michigan is a vibrant community boasting a thriving business district, charming residential corridors, pristine school grounds, and beautiful natural elements. These attributes and a local government motivated by service, innovation, and forward propulsion explain why residents choose to make this community home. Its location couldn’t be better. Abutting the fastest growing, most economically and culturally dynamic urban area in the state, East Grand Rapids sits just a short drive from the incomparable shoreline of Lake Michigan. A stable, active, and fiscally healthy community, East Grand Rapids is a full-service city chartered as a council-manager form of government. Home to 11,956 residents, its highly educated, civic-minded population supports a level of municipal services well known for exceeding the benchmark While only a short ride to the cultural, entertainment, urban amenities, and robust labor market that Grand Rapids offers, East Grand Rapids has a brand all its own. Boasting one of the top school districts in all of Michigan, this is a community of choice where real estate sales are often marked in hours rather than weeks. Parks, green space, recreation opportunities, library offerings, and community gatherings attract thousands of residents and visitors at every turn. A quaint downtown, Gaslight Village, captures shopping, services, and unique restaurants in the center of this vibrant community.

Fiscally sound for decades, East Grand Rapids employs 76 regular full-time and part-time employees who function in an interdependent and customer/client driven culture. The 2021 general fund budget is $13 million with enterprise funds adding another $5.6 million. The total annual budget is $27.7 million. A dedicated road millage is set at 1.8 mills. Following the retirement of its long-time city manager, East Grand Rapids is in the process of seeking its next executive. Only life-long learners with facilitative problem-solving skills and the ability to look toward the future, keeping the city on the cutting edge of innovation and constituent responsiveness, will be considered for this opportunity. East Grand Rapids will offer a competitive salary and benefit package. The starting salary will be dependent upon the qualifications and experience of its next executive. The range for the city manager position is $100,000 to $140,000.

POPULATION

11,731

SIZE

3.40 sq. miles

BUDGET

$27.7 million

STARTING SALARY

$100,000—$140,000

City of East Grand Rapids City Manager


East Grand Rapids, Michigan has the benefits of location; safe, beautiful, and well-maintained neighborhoods; an educated, professional, and active citizenry with a strong sense of community; award-winning schools; a capable, experienced workforce; and an atmosphere all its own. Appreciated throughout the state for its stable and civil governance, with only four city managers in more than six decades, East Grand Rapids is on many others’ watch lists as well:

• NICHE.com counts the community among the safest in the state, gives it an A+ as a “Best Place to Live,” and named it #2 in the “Best Place to Raise of Family” ranking

• Family Circle dubbed East Grand Rapids the best town for raising a family in 2015

• In 2012, Kiplinger ranked East Grand Rapids as #5 in the top 10 “Great Cities to Raise Your Kids” in the country

• Business Insider ranked this city as the best 2016-2017 suburb in all of Michigan

East Grand Rapids (East GR) is located on the western side of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula, famed for its beaches, woodlands, lakes, rivers, and all manner of outdoor recreation opportunities. https://www.michigan.org/ Settled in the 1830s and built around the 283-acre Reeds Lake (the largest of the two lakes within the city), East GR was a popular daytime resort for the Grand Rapids crowd. Incorporated as a village in 1891, then as a city in 1926, it is one of the oldest communities in Kent County. Today, it remains a classic inner-ring suburb, filled with multi-generational occupants proud of their neighborhoods and lifestyle. Well-maintained, single-family homes (93.4 percent of dwellings are owner-occupied) abut tree-lined streets. A 30-year housing boom between 1920 and 1950 populated the community with distinctive architecture now ranging from 100-year-old Victorians to bungalows, ramblers, and mid-century modern design. Lot sizes and dwellings vary from urban estate to starter square footage. Median property values were $398,000 for 2020. The median sales price in 2019 was $368,000.

East Grand Rapids prioritizes multi-mobility. Shared streets, where all speed limits are set at 25 mph, and dedicated trails encourage bicycling throughout the community. Sidewalks connecting neighborhoods with downtown and public facilities are the preferred routes in a very active community. A 2015 dedicated millage assures the 45 miles of streets and 80 miles of sidewalks are maintained and rehabilitated. “The Rapid,” a six-city interurban transit partnership, maintains bus stops and routes throughout the metropolitan area. Residents express an active pride of place evidenced by their advocacy for natural resources and green spaces. Within the city’s 3.4 square miles is more than 179 acres of public parkland including 6 acres of waterfront; a 43 acre woodland; conserved wetlands; trails; and other recreational fields and facilities. Citizen allegiance to the outdoors, wellness, health, and family connections has inspired a comprehensive recreation infrastructure made possible because of a unique partnership between the city and the school district. By combining resources and facilities, the East Grand Rapids Parks and Recreation Department employs upwards of 160 seasonal and part-time employees to offer more than 100 recreation, enrichment, and sports programs for all ages. Evidence of the on going commitment can be found in the highly collaborative 2020 Community Parks and Recreation Master Plan.

THE COMMUNITY


This is a close-knit community filled with people who know and care for their neighbors. They value hard work, honesty and integrity and identify as family oriented, and “school-centric.” Residents care deeply about where they live as well as the greater community. They are well-informed, civic-minded, and politically active with high voter turn-out habits. Townspeople engage with their local government on issues of interest, support the service providers, and expect high levels of performance. Many civic and philanthropic leaders dedicated to improving the larger urban area come from East GR. Citizens advocate for inclusion and diversity and actively seek out a multiplicity of opinions and thoughts in planning and decision making. Involvement starts early. Over 700 middle school students volunteer in the annual Day of Caring, a local community service event. The strong sense of community is enhanced by conscious design that brings people together in public spaces. Within a quarter mile from the quaint and inviting Gaslight Village sits the high school, middle school, community center housing city operations, library, and two lakefront parks.

The city is an intentional contributor to the connected culture in East Grand Rapids through its coordination, support or permitting of a wide array of gatherings and festivals such as Taste of East, the Grand Valley Arts Festival, Tree Lighting Ceremony, Fourth of July parade and fireworks, movies and concerts in the park, races, and other festivities. While just over 15 percent of the workforce lives and works in the city, the average commute time is only 22 minutes. The largest employers inside the city are Spectrum Health Blodgett Hospital and the East Grand Rapids Public School District. Many residents are attracted to the Grand Rapids region and its world class medical and health industry, global manufacturing sector, multiple academic centers, a thriving art, cultural, and music scene, an international airport, and diverse population. https://www.experiencegr.com Many colleges and universities are within an easy commute. Within 20 minutes, learners can reach Aquinas College, Calvin University, Cornerstone University, Davenport University, Kendall School of Art and Design of Ferris State University, Grand Rapids Community College, and Grand Valley State University. Western Michigan University, Ferris State University, Michigan State University Medical School, and Central Michigan University also have branches in Grand Rapids. An additional drive puts you on the campus of Hope College, Baker College, Ferris State University, or Muskegon Community College. The unemployment rate in East Grand Rapids is traditionally lower than the state average. Residents are employed in healthcare/social assistance/educational services (31 percent); manufacturing (14.5 percent); and professional/scientific/technical roles (18 percent). Median household income in 2018 was $133,982. The population is well-educated. Over 98 percent of adults have a high school diploma or above; nearly 80 percent have a bachelor’s degree or more. It is no wonder that one of the most repeated reasons for East Grand Rapids’ desirability is the strength of its award-winning school district.


East Grand Rapids Public Schools (www.egrps.org) educates approximately 3,000 students in Pre-K through 12th grade in three elementary schools (two of which are National Blue Ribbon Schools), middle school, and high school. Ranked by U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek magazine, EGRPS was named the best school district in Michigan by 24/7 Wall Street. According to NICHE.com, the district scored an A+ in academics, teachers, clubs, athletics, college prep, and health and safety. The high school offers dual enrollment for college credit with 14 advanced placement courses as well as career and technical center offerings and cadet training. Its International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme provides enrollees with an academic program recognized by the world’s leading universities for its global focus and rigorous curriculum. Sports and club participation opportunities begin at the earliest levels—art, music, and Spanish classes start in kindergarten. Drama, vocal music, orchestra, band, and multi-faceted visual arts are considered critical to the well-rounded curriculum. Pioneer athletics boast 137 state championships including the 2019 Girls Cross Country, Girls Lacrosse, and Girls Swim State Champs. Sports include water polo, crew, sailing, lacrosse, field hockey, bowling, skiing, hockey, football, basketball, swimming, soccer, baseball, wrestling, softball, cross country, track and field, golf, and volleyball.

Several high-quality private, religious, and charter school options are also available in the immediate area. East Grand Rapids is friendly and inviting. While some families go back generations, newcomers are plentiful and warmly welcomed.


THE ORGANIZATION

East Grand Rapids has the council/manager form of local government where all department directors are hired by and report to the city manager. Six non-partisan commissioners represent three wards (two elected officials from each ward) and serve staggered four year-terms. The mayor is elected at-large and serves a four-year terms. Elections are held every two years. The commission appoints the manager, sets policy and direction, approves the budget and major expenditures while serving as the legislative authority through the approval of ordinances and major planning initiatives. East Grand Rapids is managed by an exceedingly professional senior staff. Administrators are experienced and capable with tenures, in some cases, ranging into two decades. The executive team includes the finance director; public safety director; director of public works/assistant city manager; parks and recreation director; and the city clerk who also serves as the administrative assistant to the manager and mayor. The city manager retains responsibility for labor relations and oversight of human resources functions. Elected officials trust the expertise and rely on the professionalism of the employees. Commissioners advocate for creativity and are supportive of improvements in processes and protocols advanced by the departments. Commissioners have been vocally complimentary of tools and techniques enacted to keep the citizens connected and well-served throughout the COVID-19 response. Seventy-six regular full-time and permanent part-time employees along with 160+ seasonal parks, recreation, and sports employees are charged with meeting the service needs of the 11,000+ citizens and visitors. Police, fire, and medical first response needs are provided by a true combined public safety department where all officers are cross-trained and operate on 24-hour shifts. Officers and command staff are represented by two labor unions.

A third union represents public works employees. In addition to the expected infrastructure arenas, DPW houses the functions of property maintenance, code enforcement, building permits, and zoning. The zoning administrator serves as staff liaison to the planning commission. East Grand Rapids is a flat organization. All department directors are working managers and wear multiple hats. Jobs often evolve based on the talents or interests of the incumbents. Communication and advice move freely in all directions. Bureaucratic SOP’s are not only rare, but often disparaged. Providing effective and efficient service to residents is the first order of business for all staff members. Employees are rightfully proud of the level of excellence they achieve, and residents expect such benchmarks to be maintained.


“Driven to get things done” might be the unofficial motto of this team. Weekly department head meetings serve to emphasize joint responsibility for problem solving and moving the organization forward. Commission meeting agendas are reviewed by the team and meetings are debriefed to be certain everyone is clear on direction and intention. Challenges are analyzed, input sought, research collected, multiple options and alternatives weighed. Once a conclusion is determined by the group, everyone moves forward decisively. The corporate culture of East Grand Rapids can be summarized in the values employees named:

• We welcome all residents and visitors equally and equitably

• Every employee’s first mission is maintaining the highest standard of service

• Take care of the small things and the big things will take care of themselves

• Continually improve and move forward Department members treat each other as they do residents; as valued clients/customers. They trust each other and are vocally loyal to their peers, the community, and the organization. No contention exists between labor and management nor are any issues expected.

This organization is driven to provide continuous service excellence to the constituency, each other, and the elected officials. To fit in, the new leader must be passionate about the team and what they do. They will champion high ethical standards, treat everyone fairly and equally (not caving to pressure for special treatment), and have no tolerance for a breach of the company values.

To lead this capable group, the new manager will be inspirational and goal-oriented, holding themselves and others accountable to the goals and mission. The new executive will be focused on the bigger picture and understanding how all complicated pieces fit together while keeping everyone informed and on the same page.

The city manager will be present (physically and emotionally), listen, be kind and compassionate, open-minded, and accessible. Employees expect an even-keeled leader who weighs the issues and relies on research and data to tackle issues.


OPPORTUNITIES East Grand Rapids possesses several factors that foreshadow its continued prosperity. Constituents are well-informed and respectful of the governance model. The staff is experienced, stable, and committed to the community. The city is financially stable and has been for generations; even the pandemic did not knock them off their path. In 2015, voters approved a 10-year millage to assure repair and maintenance of city streets and sidewalks. A strong and active Gaslight Village Business Association supports the vitality of the area. Available property in Gaslight Village may be appropriate to meet some of the initiatives outlined in the master plan.

Issues on the Table

While there are no immediate crises in East Grand Rapids, this is a community focused on continuous incremental improvement and consciously dictating its own preferred future. On the near horizon are a number of projects the new city manager will need the skills to oversee. Work has begun on making East Grand Rapids a certified Redevelopment Ready Community and the city is currently developing a mobility plan. Infrastructure funding is in place and capital project plans developed thanks to a 2015 dedicated street and sidewalk millage. The manager will be ultimately responsible for efficient implementation of the infrastructure rebuilding plan. The 2018 master plan also contains several additional project possibilities. Facilitating consensus around realistic goals and strategies will be a critical charge for the new executive. Questions of diversifying and adding to the housing stock and requisite zoning alterations will be particularly challenging in this built-out community. While East Grand Rapids is financially sound, tolerable solutions must be completed to cover the ongoing costs of a closed pension system.

The incoming city manager will find the following awaiting their attention in the City of East Grand Rapids:


THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The City of East Grand Rapids will only consider applicants who possess a personal and professional history of high ethical standards and a passion for the timely and efficient delivery of community service at the highest level. To be considered a qualified applicant, respondents must first have:

• A bachelors degree in a relevant field of study (an MPA is preferred); AND

• Significant experience in local government with continuous progressive advancement culminating in the position of manager or assistant manager of a city, village, or similarly governed township OR to an executive leadership position in the management of municipal operations having (had) responsibility and administrative control for multiple function areas; AND

• Membership and/or involvement in a professional local government association that offers growth and continuous training such as ICMA or the Michigan Municipal Executives.

Any applicant who moves to the level of candidate will possess the experience and talent to lead a motivated, connected team driven to meet high expectations. They will be capable of facilitating agreed upon strategies to implement complex infrastructure plans and master plan initiatives to assure continued excellence for East Grand Rapids. Skills to be illustrated in a resume and letter of introduction include:

• Proven success in leading employees; building and supporting well-performing teams; the ability to recruit, hire, and develop talent

• Confirmed history of positive labor relationships with capacity to negotiate with unions in a collaborative atmosphere

• Highly developed and executed communication skills; strong written, oral and presentation talent; comfortable in and capable of successful message design and delivery

• Demonstrated capacity to facilitate agreements among multiple stakeholders on realistic, strategic goals and objectives culminating in implementation planning

• Proficient in project/task management; monitoring, evaluating and reporting progress

• Financial and budgeting acumen with comprehension of forecasting, alternatives, and impacts

• Familiarity with public utilities; understanding of complex infrastructure projects

• Grasp of process improvement techniques supporting an organizational culture of continuous success

• Knowledge of the municipal regulatory environment with an ability to build positive relationships with national, state, and regional agencies

• Experience in soliciting and packaging alternative project funding, including state and federal grants, foundation donations, private capital, and civic partnerships

• Familiarity with fully integrated public safety is a plus. Experience with police and fire professionals a necessity.


The new city manager will be solid, stable, and even-tempered. They will be data-driven and research oriented, comfortable diving into issues and exploring alternative solutions. This new leader will convey a self-confident nature and professional presence and must be: • A life-long learner • A creative, proactive problem solver who looks for innovative alternatives and can “think

outside the box” • Optimistic, having faith in the future • Endowed with a sense of humor • Open to new ideas • Flexible and adaptable • Organized • Innately oriented to follow-through and follow-up; holding self and others accountable • Accessible, open, easy to get to and easy to talk to • Authentic • Hard-working • Honest with a strong ethical base • Able to hear criticism, accept it, and work to improve or fire professionals is a necessity


APPLICATION PROCESS

APPLY BY CLOSE OF BUSINESS October 19, 2020

Please submit resume, cover letter, consent form, and five professional references to:

Email: [email protected], Subject Line: East Grand Rapids Search

Questions can be directed to MML Executive Recruiter Kathie Grinzinger at [email protected]. Candidates desiring confidentiality of their interest, as allowed for and provided by Michigan law, must indicate such in a separate subject line above the body of the cover letter. This search is conducted by an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Documents

Employment Opportunity City Manager · A stable, active, and fiscally healthy community, East Grand Rapids is a full-service city chartered as a council-manager form of government